Epix Taps Nancy Cotton to Head Scripted Programming

The executive, who will report to Michael Wright, previously served as president of David Heyman's Heyday TV banner.

Three months after taking over Epix, Michael Wright is assembling his executive team.

Nancy Cotton has been tapped to serve as exec vp original programming, reporting directly to Wright.

In her new role, Cotton — the former president of David Heyman's Heyday TV banner — will be charged with development and production of all scripted originals. She will work in tandem with Wright to make the MGM-owned cable network a destination for premium content.

“I’ve known and had the pleasure of working with Nancy on many projects over the years, and she is one of the most skilled television executives in the business. Her taste, experience and talent relationships are first rate and a huge addition to our team,” Wright said Tuesday in a statement. “We are fortunate to have Nancy join Epix at a time when the network is rapidly expanding, both its original programming and its distribution platforms, and her ability to attract and nurture great content will be vital to our growth.”

Cotton takes over the position previously held by Jocelyn Diaz, who exited Epix in January after a three-year run. During that time, Diaz helped usher the network into the scripted space under former president Mark Greenberg. Together, the duo developed Get Shorty, Berlin Station and Graves, the latter of which was recently canceled.

“I’m thrilled to be working with Michael and the team at Epix to continue to build the network into a choice destination for creative talent," Cotton said. "Epix has a powerful reach that presents an incredible opportunity for fresh, compelling storytelling, and I’m beyond excited to hit the ground running.”

During her time at Heyday, Cotton developed the NBC drama pilot In Between Lives, among others. Before that, she served as senior vp, creative affairs at Fox 21 Television Studios, where she developed and oversaw series including FX's The Americans, AMC/Netflix's The Killing and USA Network's Queen of the South, among others. The executive has also had stints running TV at Mel Gibson's company, at Mandalay Television and at ABC as drama director. She started her career as an assistant in the TV lit department at William Morris.

Epix's upcoming scripted roster includes season two of Get Shorty, season three of Berlin Station and the Patrick Dempsey mini The Truth About Harry Quebert.